Goyemide on slavery: the liberating power of the word
This article looks at Etienne Goyemide's novel, Le Dernier survivant de la caravane, a mythical foundation story set in the last years of the 19th century, which records an episode of the northern slave trade in Bandaland, RCA, and throws some light on the African roots of the northern slave trade. It considers the narrative to evaluate its relation to East African history and show the impact of displacement on the villagers' individual and collective identity. It highlights the violence of the cultural clash as expressed in the style and structure of the novel, and reveal the liberating power of the spoken word in a novel written like an oral epic, which presents an unusual mix of narration, speeches, songs, chants, folktales and legends. The concluding episode - the slaves' escape and foundation of a new village - is shown as the accomplishment of the patriarchal vision proclaimed and nurtured on the way. Goyemide (1972-1997), an all-rounded writer, who won the Competition for the best francophone short story on several occasions, is rather unknown outside the Central African Republic. This study hopes to show the relevance of his work.